Epizootic situation with the avian flu in Kurgan region

The epizootia on avian flu and a measure on its liquidation are stated. The increase in number of a wild waterfowl in 2005 is marked in comparison with 2002. It is determined, that disease among poultry arose in the facilities which are taking place near of reservoirs at ride out of its contents. The complex of sanitary-and-hygienic measures are carried out with the purpose of the prevention of disease among people. Cases of disease caused by an avian influenza among people it is not revealed.     

Operational experience with liquidation of avian flu foci in Zdvinsk of Novosibirsk region

The operational experience on liquidation of the centers of the avian flu in separate region of Novosibirsk is considered. From 32 settlements in 7 (22%) have been registered the centers of a case of a bird. Despite of undertaken measures under the prevention of distribution of an infection and occurrence of the new centers, during first time the case of a bird proceeded because of proceeding free ride out of poultry on lakes. Carrying out quarantine and actions on mass depopulation of birds appeared effectual measures on liquidation of the foci. Taking into account features of this area (a plenty of lakes) with nesting a wild waterfowl and accepted free ride out for poultry, the conclusion about an opportunity of occurrence and development new epizootia of bird's flu is made during spring-autumn of 2006.     

Epizootia of the avian flu among the wild waterfowl in Sargatsk of Omsk region in 2005

The epidemiological characteristic of avian flu among a wild waterfowl in Sargatsk region in 2005 is presented. The analysis of the climate-geographical characteristic of region and the data on migration and specific structure of a wild waterfowl, and also results of investigation of the facts of its destruction are submitted. Laboratory research with the PCR help has confirmed presence of influenza virus A (H5N1) at a wild birds. As a result of carried out in the period of epizootia in full preventive and antiepidemic measures, including quarantine contacts resulted in absence between a wild birds and poultry, with out of raid to the maintenance of poultry on farm-steads, etc., the mass destruction of poultry was absent. It is marked, that with a view of maintenance of epidemiological well-being in region high readiness for actions in conditions of an extreme situation, and also vaccination of the population should be kept.     

Epizootological and epidemiological features of the avian flu outbreak in the Chelyabinsk region in season 2005

Results of the analysis of epizootological and epidemiological situations on avian flu in the Chelyabinsk region in season 2005 are submitted. Features of the foci of the avian flu in the given territory are marked. In particular, the struck settlements were marked by a plenty of nearby reservoirs. On all farmsteads perished on the average from 53% up to 68% of a bird contained at the moment of disease. Hens were mainly amazed. However in well isolated private enterprises the poultry remained healthy. The conclusion that the primary foci of the avian flu are connected to disease of wild birds which case was marked on reservoirs of this territory is made. The forecast for spring and autumn of 2006 on disease the bird's flu remains adverse, presence of the infected territories kept since 2005 is possible. Feature epizootic process in 2006 can be a presence of a plenty of the young growth more subject to disease that can lead to increase in a level of disease the bird's flu.     

Organization of sanitary and epidemiological measures to protect the Omsk region involved in epizootia of avian flu

In article organizational aspects of carrying out preventive and antiepidemic actions at a regional level are considered at the bird's flu epizootia. Epizootic researches have shown, that infection of poultry has taken place as a result of contact to a wild bird. Serological inspection 521 persons on presence of antibodies to a influenza A (H5N1) has not revealed seropositive persons. The conclusion, that the forecast of development of a situation for spring of 2006 is made in view of a direction of migration of a wild waterfowl is unfavourable.     

Ascorbic acid role in containment of the world avian flu pandemic

In this Comment, the ultimate intent is to increase survival of the anticipated global flu pandemic. The apparent failure of "medicine" to provide a completely understood and logically based biochemical prevention and treatment for all influenzas (and many other viral diseases) may be an unavoidable result of the evolving complexity of the H5N1 virus. However, clinical experience cited in all accounts, including the 2003 to 2006 period, suggest that: (i) ascorbic acid is not being administered to humans infected or at risk for influenza, and (ii) ascorbic acid is (mistakenly) believed to be a vitamin ("vitamin C"). Proper use of ascorbic acid as described here could provide effective containment for the flu pandemic.     

Epizootic and epidemiological situation with the avian flu in Dovolensk and Kupinsk areas of Novosibirsk region and the preventive measures

Results of the analysis registered avian flu epizootia are submitted. Diseases were registered as among wild birds, and poultry. From a biological material from a poultry and wild bird of some villages of Novosibirsk region the influenza virus type A (H5N1) is allocated. Carrying out sanitary and antiepidemic measures is organized. It is established, that disease and a mass destruction of poultry have taken place after contact to a wild bird on lakes. It is revealed, that the degree of distribution of a mass destruction of poultry on farmsteads in the struck territories depends on terms of carrying out of necessary measures on localization of the foci. Occurrence of new cases of disease among wild birds and poultry in 2006 as lakes in this territory are a place of nesting of the wild birds being the reservoir of the influenza virus is predicted.     

Surveillance measures at joint-stock company "Poultry Farm Lubinskaya" during the period of avian flu epizootia in Omsk region

The organization of sanitary-and-epidemiologic supervision of an integrated poultry farm during epizootia of avian flu is devoted. The unsuccessful situation demands acceptance of additional measures which provided performance antiepizootic, preventive and antiepidemic measures with a view of restriction and distribution of an infection on poultry-farming enterprise. The disinfection barriers of several levels are established. Are organized a sanitary filtrates for the personnel and regular medical supervision over workers of the enterprise and their families. It is carried out the serological control over presence of specific antibodies to a virus of influenza virus among the workers contacting to a bird. Monitoring research of tests of blood of birds on antibodies to the influenza virus was carried out since August, 2005.     

Organization of antiepidemic and antiepizootic measures during liquidation of the mass losses of poultry from from avian flu in Novosibirsk region

The data on preparation of the basic documents regulating work in conditions of an extreme situation--registration of a mass destruction of poultry in personal farmsteads of citizens in Novosibirsk region are submitted. Circuits of the daily reporting on a case, on household detours, under actions of depopulation of poultry have been developed. Cited concrete works given on the periods, the order of decision-making, action of special structures and results of work for the period of avian flu epizootia.     

The population trend and taxonomic status of the Siberian roe deer in the Tyumen region

Data on the population trend of the Siberian roe deer in different natural zones of the Tyumen oblast, particularly in connection with climate changes in the early 21st century, are presented. The population stability of the roe deer inhabiting southern Tyumen oblast is discussed based on the analysis of exterior and interior indicators, and its phylogenetic relationships with other populations of the species are specified.     

Operational experience of disinfection service of Novosibirsk region with liquidation of the avian flu foci in Kupinsky, Zdvinsky and Dovolensky regions in August, 2005

Results of work of disinfection service using a complex of disinfecion's measures on a mode against virus infections are resulted. In view of absence now methodical normative documents on modes of disinfection in the centers of the bird's flu the recommendations on use of new disinfectants are made.     

A simple stochastic model with environmental transmission explains multi-year periodicity in outbreaks of avian flu

Avian influenza virus reveals persistent and recurrent outbreaks in North American wild waterfowl, and exhibits major outbreaks at 2-8 years intervals in duck populations. The standard susceptible-infected- recovered (SIR) framework, which includes seasonal migration and reproduction, but lacks environmental transmission, is unable to reproduce the multi-periodic patterns of avian influenza epidemics. In this paper, we argue that a fully stochastic theory based on environmental transmission provides a simple, plausible explanation for the phenomenon of multi-year periodic outbreaks of avian flu. Our theory predicts complex fluctuations with a dominant period of 2 to 8 years which essentially depends on the intensity of environmental transmission. A wavelet analysis of the observed data supports this prediction. Furthermore, using master equations and van Kampen system-size expansion techniques, we provide an analytical expression for the spectrum of stochastic fluctuations, revealing how the outbreak period varies with the environmental transmission.     

Lack of regulation in the heart forming region of avian embryos

The ability to regenerate a heart after ablation of cardiogenic mesoderm has been demonstrated in early stage fish and amphibian embryos but this type of regulation of the heart field has not been seen in avians or mammals. The regulative potential of the cardiogenic mesoderm was examined in avian embryos and related to the spatial expression of genes implicated in early cardiogenesis. With the identification of early cardiac regulators such as bmp-2 and nkx-2.5, it is now possible to reconcile classical embryological studies with molecular mechanisms of cardiac lineage determination in vivo. The most anterior lateral embryonic cells were identified as the region that becomes the heart and removal of all or any subset of these cells resulted in the loss of corresponding cardiac structures. In addition, removal of the lateral heart forming mesoderm while leaving the lateral endoderm intact also results in loss of cardiac structures. Thus the medial anterior mesoderm cannot be recruited into the heart lineage in vivo even in the presence of potentially cardiac inducing endoderm. In situ analysis demonstrated that genes involved in early events of cardiogenesis such as bone morphogenetic protein 2 (bmp-2) and nkx-2.5 are expressed coincidentally with the mapped far lateral heart forming region. The activin type IIa receptor (actR-IIa) is a potential mediator of BMP signaling since it is expressed throughout the anterior mesoderm with the highest level of expression occurring in the lateral prospective heart cells. The posterior boundary of actR-IIa is consistent with the posterior boundary of nkx-2.5 expression, supporting a model whereby ActR-IIa is involved in restricting the heart forming region to an anterior subset of lateral cells exposed to BMP-2. Analysis of the cardiogenic potential of the lateral plate mesoderm posterior to nkx-2.5 and actR-IIa expression demonstrated that these cells are not cardiogenic in vitro and that removal of these cells from the embryo does not result in loss of heart tissue in vivo. Thus, the region of the avian embryo that will become the heart is defined medially, laterally, and posteriorly by nkx-2.5 gene expression. Removal of all or part of the nkx-2.5 expressing region results in the loss of corresponding heart structures, demonstrating the inability of the chick embryo to regenerate cardiac tissue in vivo at stages after nkx-2.5 expression is initiated.     

Structure and evolution of the avian mitochondrial control region

The structural and evolutionary characteristics of the mitochondrial control region were studied by using control region sequences of 68 avian species. The distribution of the variable nucleotide positions within the control region was found to be genus specific and not dependant on the level of divergence, as suggested before. Saturation was shown to occur at the level of divergence of 10% in pairwise comparisons of the control region sequences, as has also been reported for the third codon positions in ND2 and cytochrome b genes of mtDNA. The ratio of control region vs cytochrome b divergence in pairwise comparisons of the sequences was shown to vary from 0.13 to 21.65, indicating that the control region is not always the most variable region of the mtDNA, but also that there are differences in the rate of divergence among the lineages. Only two of the conserved sequence blocks localized earlier for other species, D box and CSB-1, were found to show a considerable amount of sequence conservation across the avian and mammalian sequences. Additionally, a novel avian-specific sequence block was found.